ANTONITO — The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TSRR) announced that it would delay its scheduled Saturday, June 11 Opening Day until Friday, July 1. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution and in the highest regard for the railroad’s stewardship of the land where it operates.

“In 50-plus years of operation, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad has maintained an excellent safety record and established a hard-earned reputation for a proactive and vigorous approach to fire safety,” said Scott Gibbs, president and CEO of the C&TSRR. “It was a difficult — but vital — decision to proactively postpone our start date. Our mission is to preserve an important part of our nation’s history, while ensuring the safety of our passengers, employees, local communities and the environment through which we travel.”

Jointly owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, the C&TSRR is the nation’s highest, longest and most authentic steam railroad and travels between Antonito and Chama, N.M. Despite the delayed opening, C&TSRR employees were offered the opportunity to begin seasonal work as originally scheduled with duties that will vary until the railroad is back in service.

Passengers with reservations for any June departures are being contacted directly by the C&TSRR. People who choose to rebook their June reservations for a later date in 2022 will receive a gift card for 10 percent off in the Gift Shop. Passengers can also opt for a full refund if preferred.

The C&TSRR is closely monitoring the situation and in constant communication with the National Forest Service, fire departments in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado, New Mexico and Colorado State Forestry Departments, the Tourism Offices for both states and other partners. The C&TSRR is committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable heritage railroad experience that safely showcases the beauty of the great states of New Mexico and Colorado.

“We are deeply disappointed that the whistle won’t blow to open our season in June as originally planned,” said Gibbs. “The C&TSRR is vital to the Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico economies. We thank our passengers for their understanding as we all work through extreme conditions this year and we are very hopeful they will continue to support the wonderful towns where we operate and plan to visit us later in the year when we return to normal operations.”

The C&TSRR season is planned to open on Friday, July 1, with daily departures running from both Chama, N.M. and Antonito. Due to the unprecedented conditions, the Railroad encourages all passengers to check the website for updates the day prior to their scheduled departure.

For more information, visit www.cumbrestoltec.com.